Pain is prevalent among Americans

A recent study from the National Institutes of Health reveals that 40 million Americans suffer from severe pain and more than 25 million Americans (11.1 percent) experience pain on a daily basis. According to the Institute of Medicine, “Chronic pain alone affects the lives of approximately 100 million Americans.” More than half of the population (55.7 percent) report some pain.

As compared to people with less pain, people with severe pain tend to need more health care services and to be in worse health; they are also more likely to have greater disability and a poor quality of life.